Time pressures in the 11+ exam are one of the biggest challenges both children and parents face during preparation. With strict time limits and a large number of questions to answer, it’s no surprise that this aspect of the test can cause stress. The ability to manage time effectively is critical to your child’s success.
This article provides parents with some practical tips and strategies to handle the time pressures of the 11+ exam with confidence. We’ll look closely at some of the most common challenges you might experience and tips on techniques that can work to prepare your child for the big day.
The Time Pressures in the 11+ Exam: What Parents Need to Know
One of the biggest concerns for parents preparing their child for the 11+ exam is time pressure. It’s not just the difficulty of the questions but how quickly children have to answer them. If you’ve chatted with parents whose children have already tackled the exam, you’ve likely heard stories of kids running out of time and leaving questions unanswered.
Here’s the reality: the 11+ exam is tough because each grammar school uses it to test for long-term potential. A great way to do that is to try to see how kids think under pressure. That’s why the exam has a strict (and tough) time limit. It’s not there to be cruel but to assess how quickly your children can think through a puzzle and come to a solution.
What that means, in reality, is that your child may have less than a minute to answer some of the questions in front of them, and that’s why many parents worry about whether their children can cope. But as with anything, knowing about these sorts of constraints can help you prepare and put together a practical strategy. It will also help your child do the hard work of effective, repetitive practice where they can slowly build those thinking muscles and pick up speed.
How Many Questions Does Your Child Need to Answer?
The number of questions your child will face in the 11+ exam depends on the test provider and the type of paper. For example, if your area uses the GL Assessment for a selective school, verbal reasoning papers often include around 80 questions in 50 minutes, while non-verbal reasoning papers might have fewer questions but require more visual problem-solving.
The CEM exam board has an equally strong focus on speed, and you’ll find that they structure the papers into multi-topics. Some topics might have shorter questions, which will require more pace. You’ll also find a broad range of subjects, including English, maths, and reasoning. All will come with tight, controlled time limits.
It’s important to check the format and structure for your area. Some schools even use their own bespoke tests, which can vary significantly. This research will help your child focus their preparation on the situation they are most likely to face on exam day rather than preparing them for a test that isn’t used in that part of England. In other words, you’re using your exam preparation time wisely and helping to reduce your child’s stress levels.
How to Tackle the Timing of Each Section
Time constraints are one of the most challenging parts of the 11+ exam, and understanding the timing for each section can help reduce exam stress. In most cases, your child will need to work through questions quickly, with specific time limits for each part of the paper.
One of the tests is the English test, but it goes by the more formal name of verbal reasoning. Most of these papers in English schools allow between about 30-50 seconds for each word. The same is true for maths, though there might be more complex multi-step maths questions that allow for a little more time.
Practice papers and mock exams are two of the best ways for your child to get used to the time limits of each paper. It gives you and your child the opportunity to look at their exam technique and specifically their timing approach and obvious knowleddge gaps.
Regular practice papers under time conditions are also the best way to get your children used to time-pressured situations, easing nerves on the big day.
Common Challenges Children Face with Time Management
Children often face similar problems when they start doing exam papers under time conditions. Here are some of the most common timing issues when your child begins prepping for the 11+.
Spending Too Long on Difficult Questions
One of the most common issues in the 11+ exam is that children spend too much time on tricky questions. They might feel compelled to solve every problem perfectly, leading to them running out of time for easier questions later in the paper. Teaching your child to skip a challenging question and return to it later is a critical exam technique.
Losing Focus During the Exam
Sustaining focus over the duration of an hour exam is no small feat, especially for young people. The combination of time pressure and exam stress can cause lapses in concentration, leading to silly mistakes. Encouraging regular practice in timed conditions can help your child build the stamina needed to stay engaged throughout the test.
Poor Pacing Across the Paper
Many children struggle with pacing, either rushing through questions and making mistakes or moving too slowly and leaving large parts of the paper incomplete. Using practice tests to mimic real exam conditions helps children develop a better sense of how to pace themselves evenly.
Feeling Overwhelmed by the Time Pressure
The ticking clock of an exam hall can feel intimidating to anyone, especially for 10 and 11-year-olds in what may be their first real exam. High-pressure situations affect people differently, and for some children who are sensitive or perfectionists, this pressure can negatively impact their confidence and, ultimately, their exam performance. If your child fits that description, you may need to work on positive self-talk as well as plenty of reassurance. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing can also help.
Underestimating the Importance of Regular Practice
Finally, without regular practice under timed conditions, children often find it difficult to adapt to the specific time demands of the 11+ exam. Mock exams and past papers are the best way to simulate the real experience and develop effective time management skills.
Practical Tips for Improving Speed Without Sacrificing Accuracy
The trick to acing any exam is to work fast but with accuracy, check for mistakes, and re-read questions so you don’t lose marks on silly errors. Here are our top tips for getting your child working at pace without running into mistakes that could cost them valuable marks.
Prioritise Familiar Question Types
Encourage your child to focus on answering familiar question types first. This builds confidence and ensures they secure correct answers quickly, leaving more time for challenging problems. Familiarity with common formats can be developed through targeted practice sessions that mimic real exam conditions.
Break Study Sessions into Manageable Chunks
Long study periods can overwhelm children and negatively affect their ability to retain information. Instead, divide practice into manageable chunks with regular breaks. Short, focused sessions help maintain your child’s mental health and keep their attention sharp while building exam resilience.
Teach the Skill of Skipping
Sometimes, when you face a question you can’t answer, you need to make a judgment call and move on to the next one so that you have enough time for the rest of the paper. Guide your child on how and when to do this. If a question is causing stress levels to rise, and your child is struggling to think through the answer even after a couple of minutes, that normally indicates that it’s time to move on. Teach your child about leaving questions to return to at the end, or how to make an educated guess on ones they definitely can’t answer.
Focus on Quality, Not Just Speed
Remind your child that accuracy is just as important as speed. Get your child into the habit of re-reading the question, challenging assumptions and double-checking their answers. Review practice papers and talk through any mistakes they made because of rushing.
Provide Emotional Support
Make sure you focus on the emotional as well as practical elements of exam preparation. Look at your child’s environment and ask yourself: is this as supportive as it can be? Learn how to spot the signs of stress, which are sometimes more subtle with children than you might expect. Keep practising good habits with your child, such as celebrating small wins. And teach them how to manage their emotional wellbeing and how they can keep a positive mindset.
Practice Papers and How They Help Build Confidence
Practice papers are a valuable tool for parents and one of the most effective ways of helping their children prepare for the 11+ entrance exam and boost their chances of success. When your kid works through a paper, it helps them become familiar with the format and question times. The time constraints provide practice, which means your child won’t feel surprised or panicky on the big day.
Regular practice under timed conditions will help your children develop more aptitude for fast question answering. They’ll begin to get a feel for how to manage their time across the different questions and help you highlight gaps, such as sections they fail to answer in the provided time.
Most importantly, these papers will help improve your child’s ability and confidence, especially if they can see a gradual increase in their percentage scores. Always introduce them early and allow yourself plenty of time to go through them so they don’t feel like rushed practice a week before the test. Try starting with some easier practice papers before moving on to the harder ones so children don’t feel disheartened with a low score. When you use these practice papers as part of a more comprehensive 11+ preparation strategy, they can become a bit of a morale booster.
Conclusion: Mastering Time Pressures in the 11+ Exam
It’s certainly true that 11+ preparation is no small task. It can be a stressful time for parents as well as for kids. But with some time management strategies, you can make massive inroads with your prep and help boost your child’s chance of success on the big day. Don’t forget to focus on the emotional element as well as the practical one. Having a child look at a tough question and feel confident enough to give it a try can make a massive difference. So, however strong they are with their maths and English, make sure they have a positive mindset that’s equally strong.
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